Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you. ~William Arthur Ward

Ahh the client testimonial, every good website/LinkedIn/marketing collateral has them. People think you’re great and you want others to hear what they are saying about you.

Small reality check.
Everyone knows that you would never, ever pick any testimonial that isn’t completely flattering to you. That doesn’t make testimonials invalid – hey, I’m the writer – it makes my job easier to read and incorporate your testimonials into the copy I write for you. People DO want to see themselves in your testimonials, “I want that result. Therefore, I will hire you to help me achieve it.”

Are client testimonials actually hurting your business?

A few tips to keep the use of testimonials in check and get the most out of what OTHER people say about you:

Select testimonials carefully. Each testimonial should reflect a specific skill or trait that you brought to a project. The testimonial should display how you changed something for someone. “I was stuck in a rewrite for my website, CCW Freelance helped me organize and pinpoint my ideas.” Don’t waste your time (or precious space) on well-meaning comments like, “I love Courtney! She is great!” (even though I really am and my clients tell me so.)

Beware the inadvertent Testimonial. Find out what others are really saying about you. Do you search your name on google or find your listings on trade sites related to your chosen field? If someone has said something negative or even neutral about you, it may be worth your time to go and try to do some damage control. Ask if there is anything you can do to rectify the situation. If you turn a bad comment into a happy customer perhaps their new testimonial will highlight your conflict resolution skills. If the bad comment comes from a competitor, you have another issue on your hands (not covered here!)

Speak kindly of yourself. Your own quotes can have as much impact as a client testimonial. A few words about what motivates you or how you feel about what you do can let clients see a glimpse of your personality and passion. This connection with YOU could make all the difference when clients browse your materials. And of course, let your business-sense and personality shine though and leave self-serving pride at the door.

And the obvious: never, ever make your testimonials up. That’s cheesy and you know it!